She Was Not Named Carolina

Updated on October 12, 2012

Madeleine -----> Made

Made is a shortened version of Madeleine. People tend to pronounce the name very differently. Made has lived in three different countries, and the friends she has MADE have given her different nicknames. The nicknames are Madi, Made with three different pronunciations, Madde and Madden (this version is only used by her mother-in-law, LOL!). Madeleine has been pronounced in fivedifferent ways by her friends. The first nickname Madeleine had as a little girl was Made. She's still Made to her closest friends and her family, and here on HubPages. As a reader of this hub and a hubber you should feel honoured! *****LOL***** The pronunciation may vary. Call her what you like. Made doesn't feel muddy at all even if that's how the name is pronounced in Swedish. Swedish is Made's mother tongue.

How Did The Name Madeleine And All The Nicknames Affect This Girl During The Years She Grew Up?

Made was always called Madeleine by her teachers. She didn't really like it. Nobody else in her age was named Madeleine. She know zero people with the name Madeleine, except one Swedish princess. She is two years younger then ”this real Madeleine”. She had obviously been named after the real Madeleine, growing up in a working class family. *****LOL***** That was one of the reasons Madeleine didn't like her name either. Madeleine was a name for rich families, and she was far away from rich. Her parents worked long days to be able to put food on the table and buy clothes for their four children. The name Madeleine didn't really fit in this family. She wanted to have a normal name, like Maria. She knew many Marias. Her oldest sister had been named Maria. Madeleine suggested they could swap names with each other. "No way, her 12 year old sister replied, how could you even ask such a question?" Even if Maria didn't like her common name either, she could never imagine having Madeleine as her name. In Madeleine's reality, as five year old girl, it would have been no problem. In Maria's class in school, there were five other Marias.

At this point Madeleine also realized that now it was too late to change her name to Carolina. That was the name her parents first had decided for Madeleine. "Carolina, Carolina ..." As she said the name out loud to herself, Madeleine knew she would have liked that name better. It was more common, and one of her ancestors had been named Carolina. Suddenly her parents had gotten the bright(?!) idea of naming the little girl Madeleine. It was pronounced like ”muddy lane”. LOL! Who could like a name like that? I'm glad I couldn't speak English at that age. I didn't know a soul in this world that was named Madeleine. Well, except the Swedish princess. It was her and me against the rest of the world.

Years went by, and Madeleine got used to her name and to getting some new nicknames. She didn't really mind people calling her different nicknames. In her teenage years she heard of some other girls, much younger than herself, that had been named Madeleine. They had been named after the beautiful Swedish princess. Of course parents wanted to give princess names to their little princesses. Madeleine never felt like a princess, more like a prince actually. Princesses doesn't like playing with small cars, little grey and green plastic soldiers and playing soccer, do they? That's what Madeleine did. She felt more like poor Prince Madeleine of Finland than rich Princess Madeleine of Sweden. *****LOL*****

When Madeleine moved to Sweden, she had come to the home country of Princess Madeleine. The name was more common here and all the Madeleines were called ”Madde”. That was very natural to her as well. She liked being called Madde. She felt like one of the Swedish Maddes, just like a normal young woman. Life was great. After a few years Madeleine moved back to Finland. Now she doesn't really mind what people call her. Still they ask her if it's okay to call her this or that. She always replies: ”Yes, you can call me that”.

What are you doing when the weather outside is getting too cold? When you can spend just five minutes outside and feel that you can't stand it anymore becuase of the freezing temperature, it's time to go inside, stay...

Comments 19 comments

This was very entertaining. You have a beautiful kitchen. I think we are more similar than different, and if you watch an image of my kitchen, you may not make any big difference than that it is situated in India, and not in Finland. The only practical difference is language. I guess we are getting closer even there.

Made 4 years ago from Finland Author

Thank you, GoldenBird. This is my parent's kitchen in the house, where I grew up. My own kitchen look a little different. Yes, languages vary, but I think people around the world are quite similar.

Winsome, I wouldn't mind looking like the princess. I really appreciate you comment and giving me these links. Thank you for following me. :)

SanneL 4 years ago from Sweden

Made~Madde~Madi~Madden~Madeleine - You will always look like a beautiful princess!! Kram På Dig!

Made 4 years ago from Finland Author

Maybe I don't look that good, but I feel good getting this comment from you Sannel. Tack så mycket! :)

ahorseback 4 years ago

Made .......HUUmmmm?...This hub just made you a winner in my book! And shes so pretty too! Is it true that Swedish people never smile?......:-}}}

Made 4 years ago from Finland Author

Hi ahorseback, thank you. I don't think I've heard about non-smiling Swedes. The Swedes I know have the ability to smile. :)

Carolina0999 4 years ago

I just wanted to say that I was named Carolina at birth and people mispronounce it all te time... And my favorite country in the world is Finland followed by Sweden. So maybe you and me can trade Made, I would put up with the name if I would be on Finland.

Life works on funny ways, we always want what others have.

Made 4 years ago from Finland Author

Hi Carolina, welcome to HubPages! We should be happy with what we have. Thank you for reading my hub and leaving an interesting comment. :)